BY PAUL KITASCRIPPS HOWARD NEWS SERVICE| Ocala Star-Banner
WASHINGTON - Loaded with salt and laden with oil, some Chinese food menu options can pack a powerful kung fu punch of artery-popping health risks, according to a consumer advocacy group.
But don't drop the chopsticks. Ordered correctly, Chinese cuisine is still a contender for one of the healthiest ethnic dining-out options, said Bonnie Leibman, director of nutrition for the Center for Science in the Public Interest.
"The good thing about Chinese food is that you can get vegetable-rich dishes, and it's got the kind of fat that's not bad for your heart," Leibman said at a press conference Wednesday. "But like all restaurant food, Chinese food is loaded with calories and salt. That's bad for your waistline and your blood pressure."
To maintain a healthy diet, Leibman said, consumers should have no more than 2,000 calories and 1,500 milligrams of sodium per day. Too many calories can lead to weight gain. And too much sodium can increase blood pressure, resulting in heart disease.
The center tested 31 dishes, each from three to nine restaurants in the Washington area. It did not name the restaurants. Many of those dishes had more than 1,000 calories and soaring sodium counts.
The easiest way to avoid an unhealthy meal is to pepper your server with questions, said Michael Jacobson, executive director at the center.
Unlike most restaurants, Chinese eateries often allow patrons to customize their dishes.
"Steam the veggies, saute in less oil, serve the sauces on the side, and replace some of the meat with vegetables," Jacobson said. "Diners should be assertive and ask for exactly what they want."
Since the center conducted its last survey of Chinese food restaurants in 1993, more establishments offer nutrient-rich brown rice instead of just white rice, Jacobson said.
Lawyer Joe Maguire, 39, interviewed outside a downtown Chinese restaurant, said he occasionally orders brown rice, but eats General Tso's chicken, which "is probably one of the worst for you anyway. ... If I go out to eat, I'm not usually thinking about having to eat healthy."
To cut calories even when eating the unhealthiest dishes, the study recommends using chopsticks or a fork instead of a spoon. Most of the calories sit in the sauce, which is scooped with the spoon.
Similarly, absorbent vegetables like eggplant soak up the oils in sauce. Consumers should opt for less spongelike greens such as snow peas.
For more information, go to CSPI's Web site: www.cspinet.org/new/200703211.html
General Tso's chicken, with 3,200 milligrams of salt, more than double the recommended daily limit.
Combination fried rice, which included a gut-busting 1,500 calories per order.
Lemon chicken, although it sounds safe, is the equivalent of scarfing down three McDonald's McChicken sandwiches and a large co*ke.
Szechuan string beans are laced with 2,700 milligrams of sodium.
